Child-Care Quality

States fall far below the recommended standards for child care, says a report by the Arlington, Va.-based National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.

The average state earned 70 out of a possible 150 points, derived from 15 basic criteria such as background checks of child-care staff members, restrictions on corporal punishment, standards for administration of medication, and quarterly inspections of child-care facilities. The highest-ranking states were New York and Illinois, which earned 90 points each, while the lowest-ranking state was Idaho, with 15 points.